Method of making puffed dough pieces of varying configuration

ABSTRACT

An assortment of extrusion-puffed dough shapes of varying configurations is produced from a single extruding die assembly by mounting said assembly on a cooker extruder expander adapted to produce a gelatinized cereal dough mass and discharge same as individual moieties sequentially through a plurality of orifices in a backup zone and an extruding zone, the flow rates of said moieties being varied in passage in relationship to the flow characteristics of respective shaping dies by coordinating flow characteristics in respective backup zones so as to cause individual dough masses upon issuance from the face of the assorted extruding die orifices to have extrudates move at comparable linear speed whereby said moieties can be consecutively subdivided by a rotating knife assembly and uniformly puffed, flow coordination being evenly modulated by a substantial buffering zone in a dead space in said cooker.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of our application Ser. No.429,305 filed Dec. 28, 1973 for DIE ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF EXTRUDINGCEREAL DOUGH MASSES, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The art of manufacturing a puffed dough-shape, particularly one which issold in an assortment of characters such as alphabets, numerals orrelated but dissimilar shaped pieces such as animal forms for noveltypurposes has relied upon the art of gun-puffing a partially cooked doughpiece, viz. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,954,295 and 2,954,296, issued Sept. 27,1960, both entitled Process for Preparing Puffed Cereal Product, toClausi et al. The limitations of gun puffing are such, however, thatuniformity of the puffed dough pieces leaves much to be desired andyield of faithfully shaped expanded particles is less than would bepreferred for optimal utilization of raw materials. Furthermore, fromthe standpoints of safety, sanitation and simplicity of equipment, itwould be preferable if means other than a gun-puffer were employed formanufacturing novel shaped expanded dough masses.

One avenue for making a shaped dough piece which has been usedcommercially is a cooker extruder expander wherein a moist cereal doughis subjected to controlled heat and mechanical work to convert thestarch content thereof into a partially gelatinized condition, at least,and cause the dough to pass an extruding die whereby the dough movesfrom a confined zone of high pressure to an unconfined zone of muchlower, say, atmospheric pressure and the individual dough extrudate whenit is simultaneously so-exposed undergoes rapid expansion.

Whereas such cooker expanders have enjoyed utility in manufacturing suchproducts for sale as dry, ready-to-eat breakfast cereal products andsnacks, they are limited in their versatility. It is sometimespreferable in marketing such products that they be in assorted shapesand that they not only be uniformly expanded but also that they be of aconsistent size relative to one another. Providing such an assortmentcalls for employing a die assembly having a plurality of differentshapes be they alphabetical, numerical or the like. Unfortunately, byreason of varying flow characteristics of the dough mass passing throughdiffering shaping die orifices, there is a multiplicity of hydraulicflow patterns which must be reconciled if each of the cooked doughmasses are to pass their respective extruding die in a uniform mannerthat results in a substantially comparable linear velocity for eachmoiety of cereal dough. The problem becomes manifest when, with varyingflows, a rotating cutting knife will subdivide varying depths from theextrudate and result in eccentricities of product form as well as a lossof intended shape definition.

Accordingly, it is among the objects of the present invention to providea cooker extruder expander die assembly and method of expanding anassortment of individual dough moieties whereby, despite their varyingcharacter as shaped, they are caused to issue from a confined zone ofhigh pressure to a less confined zone of lower pressure and becomeexpanded uniformly, said issuance being caused by the dough massesmoving at a substantially comparable linear velocity with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the extruder.

STATEMENT OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, the assembly comprises forminga die plate coaxial with a backup plate, the die plate being providedwith individual shape-defining dies, the backup zone or plate having alike coaxial plurality of flow-adjusting chambers defined therein eitherby individually mounted inserts or equivalent structures of varying flowpatterns to be hereinafter described, the relative flow of gelatinizedcereal dough moieties entering said flow adjusting chambers being suchin relationship to the velocity of dough masses issuing from respectiveextruding dies that the individual moieties are coordinated in theirlinear velocities issuing from the die plate. In practicing thisinvention, the backup plate may have a series of chamber plugs ofvarying orifices sizes and configuration or alternatively the backupplate may, per se, have the aforesaid orifices integrally formedtherein. Likewise, the extruding die plate will have orifices thereinwhich may have appropriate flow control means in the form of pins orrestrictions intended to provide shape definition and also regulate theflow pattern of dough passing said dies.

The invention also involves a method whereby respective flowcharacteristics through a plurality of differing orifices in a backupzone are correlated with corresponding shaping die orifices at theexpansion sites by inversely varying backup orifice size to shapingorifice open area. In this connection, a buffering zone is createdintermediate the backup zone and the terminal of the cooker extruderdough-working zone whereby surging and flow variations charging thebackup zone are modulated.

In its most preferred form the die assembly will be a three-memberstructure consisting essentially of an extruding die plate and a backupplate, as aforesaid, and a spacer ring having a uniform opening whichmodulates flow. It is also within the spirit of the invention that suchmembers may be integrated into die shaping and flow regulating members,all of which will be apparent from the accompanying description of thepreferred and best mode of practicing this invention which will now bedescribed by reference to the accompanying drawings of the die assemblywherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation partly in section and showing portions of theassembly mounted on an extruding expanding cooker shown in phantom view;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the extruding die plate with parts broken awayto show the details of the varying die orifices for creating theintended assortment of shapes;

FIG. 3 is an opposite end view relative to that shown in FIG. 2 withparts similarly broken away to show varying flow chambers underlying aspacer ring;

FIG. 4 is an end view of a cyclindrical spacer ring.

In the process of extrusion there is a tendency of gelatinized cerealdough masses to spiral and surge upon passage under pressure from theend of the screw within the cooker due to erratic feeds, machine wearand slippage of dough. The use of spacer plates for compensation of thistendency is prior art, but so far as presently known, has not beenapplied to modulate upstream variations in cross-sectional feed to avariety of backup zone orifices or assorted extrusion areas of differingflow characteristics. Such spacer means in this application, therefore,serves a distinctly different function. In relation to the flow controlmeans in the backup plate there is an evening of the subdivision of thedough moieties fed thereto with a consequent consistency in flowregulation to the backup plate from the dough-working zone andtransmission to and through the die plate, despite variations inintermediate flow from the areas between the screw and the cookingchamber. Thus, the spacer ring opening serve to provide surgecompensation and hydraulic pressure equalization. The backup plate withvarying flow generation direction and regulating means, depending upondie shaping requirements, controls flow more consistently and therebyenables a more uniform velocity of expanded extrudates introduced to thecutting knife.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, the extruder expander may beany common apparatus known to skilled art workers such as those shown inU.S. Pat. No. 3,117,006 issued Jan. 7, 1964 to J. Wenger which areadapted to pre-condition a cereal mixture by heat and water causing themass to be mechanically worked and heated between a series of screwscoextensive within a tube and adapted to ultimately deliver asubstantially gelatinized and cooked cereal dough to a chamber of highpressure phantomly shown as 10. This chamber is defined by a cone screwphantomly shown as 12, rotating within a cone head phantomly shown as 14and forming no part of the present invention but necessary to deliverthe mass of cereal dough to the assembly.

The extrusion die assembly consists of a cylindrical die plate 26 havingdie inserts or plugs 28 a, b, c, and d mounted therein, the plate havingcylindrical passages 26 a, b, c, and d therein communicating withcorresponding flow directing and regulating passages or backup orifices24 a, b, c, and d in inserts in a cylindrical backup plate generallyshown as 20, the backup plate similarly having its communicating flowregulating inserts 22 a, b, c, and d adapted to receive dough moietiesand deliver same in varying flows to respective passages 26 and dieinserts 28. Each of the flow regulating inserts 22 will be tapped so asto have a frustoconical point of entry thereto and/or issuancetherefrom, respectively, and thereby alter the respective velocities ofthe moieties of cereal dough masses created as the dough is caused topass under high pressure to the die area cylinders 26 a, b, c, d andeventually issue through die members 28 a, b, c, and d. It will bepractical to have varying patterns in passage orifices 24 a, b, c and don either or both extremities of the respective flow regulating inserts22 depending upon how it becomes necessary to coordinate flow velocitywith the drag or other flow characteristics that are predetermined asnecessary for a particular shaping die orifice 28 a, b, c, or drespectively. Cylindrical spacer ring 23 will have a uniform cylindricalopening 23a communicating with respective passages 24 in inserts 22through abuttment of ring 23 with backup plate 20.

As will be appreciated by men skilled in this art, the die plugs 28 maybe provided with alphabets, numerals, animal figures, and like shapesintended to meet marketing requirements. A knife member phantomly shownas 32 is adapted to rotate about hub 34 which is an integral part of thedie plate 26 and intersect at high speeds the individual dough moietiesissuing from the die members per se, the rotational velocity of thecutting knife being so regulated in relation to the linear extrusionvelocity of the individual dough moieties that a uniform depth of cuttherefor is provided, the respective velocities of all of the aforesaidmeans being experimentally derived.

Selection of the proper size backup orifice is employed to regulatevelocity through a given die insert. For example, the letter "M" in plug28 d has more open area than the letter "T" in the plug 26 b, asindicated in the following illustrative tabulation.

    ______________________________________                                                                   Backup Orifice Size                                Letter Die                                                                            Open Slide Insert Area                                                                           (diameter)                                         ______________________________________                                        "T"     .0240 in.sup.2   3/8"                                                 "O"     .0305 in.sup.2   5/16"                                                "M"     .0425 in.sup.2   1/4"                                                 "P"     .0255 in.sup.2   9/32"                                                ______________________________________                                    

A smaller backup orifice 24 d is used for the "M" than the flow velocitytherethrough, quantity of flow equalling cross sectional area multipliedby velocity. When the dough reaches the "M" die 28, the larger open areaof the "M" reduces the velocity with respect to the "T". Properselection of the backup orifice sizes for each letter with respect tothe others allows velocity control at the surface of the letter die suchthat each extrudate is travelling therethrough at the same linearvelocity. Other variables of die construction and letter irregularitiesmay also determine the proper backup orifice size. For example, the pinwhich forms the hole in the top of the "P" restricts open area andspeeds velocity. Sharp corners on an "A" produce more frictional dragthan the smooth curve of the letter "O" thus slowing velocity in the "A"relative to the "O". This multiplicity of interrelated variables makesthe selection of proper size backup orifices both critical and acomplicated process.

Although the invention has been described by a portrayal of a die platefixedly mounted through intermediation of screws 36, it will beappreciated that the die plate really is a die zone having the aforesaidshape-defining dough passing and regulating characteristics and that thebackup plate and spacer ring are the full equivalents of integral zonesadapted to communicate cereal dough moieties of varying velocities tothe cylindrical dough shaping chambers 26 a, b, c, d therein.

Although an assortment of four cereal dough shapes is shown, it will beunderstood that any number of combinations of shapes may be incorporatedinto such a die assembly within the spirit of the present invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of making puffed dough pieces of varyingconfiguration from one cooker-expander extrusion operation whichproduces gelantinized cereal dough comprising forcing cereal doughthrough a series of confined zones under high pressure and heat to anunconfined zone of lower pressure, said confined zones including a finalextrusion zone and modulating backup zones, said extrusion zone having aplurality of restricted openings of varying cross-section and shape,said backup zones having a plurality of holding areas of varying sizeand configuration wherein the flow characteristics of said holding areasare correlated to the flow characteristics of the correspondingrestricted openings in order to modulate the linear flow of the doughpast the various restricted openings to the same rate, extruding saiddough through said extrusion zone and modulating backup zones into saidunconfined zone wherein the dough undergoes puffing, and subdividing theextruded dough into pieces.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein theextrudates are different alphabet characters.
 3. The method of claim 1wherein the extrudates are different numeral characters.